17 March 2011

DORIS 24 [by Cindy Crabb]

Doris 24 is one of my cherished possessions. What makes a zine by Cindy Crabb stand out is its combination of empowerment, intelligence, information and emotional insecurities. While reading Doris 24, I wavered between wanting to shout 'Hoorah!' in agreement with her d-i-y politics and wanting to cry for sympathy of her deep pain and heroic action toward healing it.

My copy of this zine is highlighted, ear-marked and flagged with little coloured sticky post-its. I want to quote from several parts of it, but I will only provide you with one quotation - one that will show you the power of Cindy's writing and convictions:

"I don't think that tearing up the hillsides with an off-road-vehicle means that you don't care about the land. I don't think eating road kill makes you pure. I don't think my energy conservation measures matter at all. I don't think our lifestyle choices are in and of themselves political. The political part is whether our lifestyle choices help us to become more human. If they help us feel a sense of personal integrity, and if that integrity gives us the power to fight further, to imagine deeper, to want more.

I want to live in a world where kids aren't raped, where no one is. I want there to be about one car for every one-thousand people, for the streets to be torn up and turned into gardens, and for people to form social structures that are not based on domination or manipulation, and where everyone sees that we are part of nature, and that nature isn't something separate, not a resource to be used."

Doris 24 also includes discussions and tips for grassroots and political organizing, which are well written and practical.

Who Is Zio?

Zio is a co-founder and key organizer of the Ravenswing DIY Fair, Ottawa's craft and zine fair. He also writes a zine, Electric Mayhem. He loves zines because they defy censorship and encourage freedom of expression. For information on getting reviewed, email ravenswingottawa@gmail.com.